Camel, Sans Hang-ups

After having been in all the fashion predictions, camel has finally found its place in the streets, but far from all the preppy scenarios that were made up for it...

Camel, having been announced as the bankable color of the season, had the fashionistas fantasizing for an entire 6 months before its arrival in the boutiques. However, once available in the real world, it proved to be a bit disappointing.

Many fashion-seekers had to admit that the famous ¾ coat in camel aged them horribly, and that the corolla skirts of the same color (which had taken over the Maje, Sandro and other boutiques) made them look heavy. In other words, once descended from the catwalks and taken out of the fashion editorials, camel had lost much of its glory.

To save it, the fashionistas had to seize it for themselves, renounce the Chloé 70s sportswear dress code, and go for a more audacious mix and match. Camel has a tendency to take itself too seriously; in order to prevent this, those passionate about this style added to it a good dose of extravagance.

In practice, there are those who fearlessly wear in light of the summer 2011 trends by matching it with a florescent color; others seem to flatter its more strict side by wearing it with navy blue before debauching it via a pair of heavy boots and mountain socks.

As for the younger girls, they are throwing on Max Mara robe-style coats with a pair of Converses in order to compose a little neo-effortless look; whereas the unwavering rock bohemians can be seen in a leopard/black leather jacket over a camel sweater dress for winter 2011.

In other news, if during the last fall/winter shows, camel was shown matched with very sober colors, it has finally shown itself (thanks to the fashionista's imagination) to be more partial to more energetic tints than earlier believed. Hanna MacGibbon might mix it exclusively with colors like rust or cappuccino, but it goes equally well with pink, red (e.g., red slims + camel overcoat + gray sweatshirt), or with emerald.